CEDAR FALLS – The 2026 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament champion Panthers are inviting fans to join them on Selection Sunday, March 15 for a watch party at the Diamond Events Center in Western Home Communities (5307 Caraway Lane) in Cedar Falls as the team learns its tournament seeding, first round matchup and location.
The event, which will be free and open to the public, is being presented by Amy Wienands Real Estate and the Diamond Events Center in Western Home Communities, with special thanks to Elite Casino Resorts and 93.5 The Mix.
Doors to the event will open at 3:30 p.m. CT with a brief program set for 4:30 p.m. CT and the selection show live on CBS at 5 p.m. CT. The first 300 fans in attendance will have the opportunity to receive a commemorative championship poster, as well as take pictures with the Arch Madness championship trophy.
Fans will also have the opportunity to hear from head coach Ben Jacobson and members of the UNI team, with special videos including the MVC’s “One Shining Moment” and a recap video of the MVC Tournament title run being played. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase on-site, as well as information regarding 2026-27 men’s basketball season tickets and ways to support the Panther program.
Following the conclusion of the selection show, Coach Jacobson and select members of the Panther roster will be made available to members of the media for a short press conference on-site. Media members seeking practice footage ahead of the NCAA Tournament are welcome to attend UNI’s March 16 practice (dependent on team schedule and departure time for the tournament). Those wishing to attend this practice are asked to contact Assistant Athletic Director for Communication Joel Wauters (joel.wauters@uni.edu) for time and location information.
The Panthers will make their ninth trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament after capturing their sixth MVC Tournament championship this past Sunday in St. Louis and their first since 2016. UNI became the first team in conference history to win four games in four days for the league’s automatic NCAA berth, as well as the lowest seed to ever win the tournament.
The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will begin with the First Four play-in games on March 17-18 in Dayton, Ohio, with the first round running March 19-20 and second round March 21-22 in various locations. Sweet Sixteen games (March 26-27) and Elite Eight action (March 28-29) will occur the following week with the Final Four (Apr. 4) and national championship game (Apr. 6) set to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.